Results 421-440 of 2,078 for speaker:Mary Seery Kearney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: At this moment in time we could be obliged to discriminate between who could access the choice to end their life based on their diagnosis.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: A narrative is emerging from this meeting and last week's meeting that seems to suggest that mental health is a determinant and that safeguards need to be imposed. This concerns me in some ways. While I welcome it and understand it, it also concerns me that people who are already vulnerable because of diagnosis or their particular level of health may be put through having to prove their...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I am not talking about mental health as a reason to choose end of life. I am talking about proving mental well-being in order to have a presumption of capacity to make the decision to access whatever method of assisted dying we would put in place.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I do not want a narrative to start creeping in that just because someone wants the option of assisted dying, that assumes the person has to be treated or considered as having mental health issues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: That narrative started creeping in at last week's meeting and it is here again this morning. I am not comfortable with it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I am struck by how stark the witnesses positions are. We have previously been told that we need to make sure we have the courage to be able to recommend the legislation for this. This morning, however, I am struck by the message that having the courage not to legislate is also important. Regarding services in the community, I agree with the witnesses that there are well-documented...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I am not a professional in this area. Is there a set number of individuals who need to be employed? How do legislators predict that when such and such a level is reached the provision is a safe one?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Vulnerable Individuals from Coercion: Discussion (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: From a cancer perspective, it is at the operative level.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank the officials, particularly Dr. Brooks, for their engagement over the last number of years. One of the big problems in childcare is that change is not happening fast enough for parents and providers. I know there are to challenges to change but when the Department says year 3, I echo Deputy Dillon's view that there are providers who do not believe that they will be in business in...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: With due respect, €20 million is a drop in the ocean in the context of what could be done here. A figure of €80 million was discussed last year.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I have a couple of questions and comments. One of the banes of one's life in managing a childcare service is managing staff. There are instances where people are out sick, services have to be compliant with the Organisation of Working Time Act so staff need breaks, people need to take holidays and so on. There is a one to three ratio in a baby room and if a room is a certain size, a...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: There are multiple sources and I get that, but then there is multiple accounting and balancing of that - or is it one return? They have multiple sources of reporting, for example, from a compliance perspective and from a food perspective. How is funding tailored for each individual service?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: There is built-in flexibility to allow for different areas and different demands from parents but also consistency of employment for providers.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: Cutting across Ms Fleming, this year, quite a number of employment rights came into being, such as sick pay and all of those. How are they accounted for, given that childcare would have a high level of absenteeism, to be fair, because people are exposed to children and all the stuff that goes through services, even with the best hygiene in the world? How is that increase in entitlement to...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: How do they access, let us say, sick pay?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: Sorry, I just need to finish this. Employers have increased costs. From an employee perspective it is fantastic but from an employer perspective, there is an increased cost of employment. Let us say a provider applied for its grant based on X. The Government brings in a right and entitlement for employees, for instance, on 28 November, the domestic violence leave will come in. Where is...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: Do they access additional money or do they just get a grant and it is within that grant?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: The additional employee entitlements between now and September next year have to be taken out of what they were already going to get and going to get anyway. They are not actually be given additional funding for that, rather, they have to take it from their current allocation.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: The difficulty with the sustainability fund is that it is not an application. It is a management process to which you must submit. I feel a bit aggrieved that I was briefed to go out on the media with this as the catch all where services were under pressure, and there are services under pressure, but it is not as dynamic and responsive as I believed it was going to be. I countered some of...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I have one other question on the creation of the agency. It is a very welcome development. It is fantastic and came from our side of the House in the programme for Government. Having one place everything goes into will be fantastic. I am mindful though of the transition from the local authorities to Irish Water and worry a little about the county child care committees, CCCs, coming into...